BROKEN HILL STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9023, 31 October 1892, Page 5

BROKEN HILL STRIKE.

CONVICTION OF THE LEADERS. THE PRISONERS SENTENCED. THEIR RELEASE ' DEMANDED. RIOTING AT BROKEN HILL. Press Association.—Electric Telegraph.—Copyrisht, Sydney, October 29. The trial of the members of the Labour Defence Committee, for unlawful conspiracy in connection with the strike of miners at Broken Hill, has concluded. Sleath (secretary of the Broken Hill Miners' Association), Fergusson, Polkinghorne, and Hewitt were found guilty, and Huon not guilty. Bennett and Hebeyle were also found guilty, but the jury recommended them to mercy. Addressing a meeting of Miners at Broken Hill, a recently-appointed Justice of the Peace urged the workers to get into power, seize the magistracy, and put their own men on the Bench, so that they could get the verdicts they wished ; then when they got Catling guns and troopers they could, if the occasion required, trample down ruthlessly the class which opposed them. The trial of the Broken Hill strikers at Deniliquin has formed an all-absorb-ing topic in the city, and intense interest was manifested in the result. Butcher was found not guilty, and discharged. His Honor, in passing sentence, said he had a painful duty to perform. It was a terrible thing to see men like the prisoners before a Court of justice at all. Sleath and Fergusson were each sentenced to two years' imprisonment; Hewitt, Rolking, and Home, each to 18 months; Heberle, to nine months ; and Bennett, to three months. • All the accused were ordered hard labour. In the cases of assault against the unionists, there was one conviction and three acquittals. Unkles, for riotous behaviour, was sentenced to eight* months' imprisonment. *,■! The prevailing opinion among the men at Broken Hili was that the members of the labour defence committee would be acquitted, and the result has caused dismay. Sydney, October 30. A mass meeting was held in the Domain to-day, when petitions were signed demanding the release of the members of the Broken Hill Labour Defence Committee. A monster meeting is to be held on Tuesday for the same object. A large mob attacked several free labourers at Broken Hill last night. The police arrested one of the offenders, whom the mob tried to rescue. During the melee four of the police were injured by stones and other missiles.